Button-making machine



April 6, 1926. 1,579,826

C. H. MILLIKEN ET AL BUTTON MAKING MACHINE Filed April 19, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 6 1926.

C. H. MILLIKEN ET AL BUTTON MAKING MACHINE Filed April 19. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

] UNITED STATES} PATENT UFFIQE.

CHARLES H. MILLIKEN AND AUGUSTUS HEoK, or NEWTONQMASSACHUSETTS, As-

SIGNORS T0 CHARLES H. MILLIKEN, DOING BUSINESS UNDER NAME AND STYLE 07F MILLIKEN MACHINE 00., 0E vEw'ron, MASSACHUSETTS. I

BUTTON-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed April 19, 1924; Serial No. 707,603.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLEs H. MILLI- KEN and 'AUGUs'rUs HEGK, citizens of the United States, and residents of Newton, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Button-Making Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views. a I This invention relates to machines for making buttons of a type embodying an ornamental pearl or'like head with a headed wire shank fitted therethroughand bent into an eye or loop. A principal object'ofthe invention is to provide a machine that is entirely automatic in operation for bending the wire shanks of these buttons to form the eyes thereof, the machine being adapted to receive the buttonheads with the headed wire shanks fitted therein, and to complete the making of the button by the necessary forming of the projecting wire'shank into the completed eye, which is pressed inward into proximity to the inner side of the head. A further objectis to provide a machine of this kind of relatively few parts and that is capable of rapid. operation, and with a capability of handling a substantialirange of button sizes. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following de tailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. and the distinctive features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side view of a machine embodying the invention with a portion of the button supply chute broken away;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a front view;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary transverse section on line44 of Figure 3:

Figure 5 is a detail plan view showing the button moving slide removed;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the slide of Figure 5; a

' Figure 7, 's a view partly in transverse vertical section and partly in side elevation looking from the opposite side of the machine to that of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a partial side view with portionsbroken away and illustrating the first step in the bendlng of the wire shank;

Figure 9 is a similar view illustrating the I final bending of the wire shank;

F gure 10 1s a detail sectional view of an anvil and bending d e upon which the wire shank is formed;

Figure 11 is an elevation of the button blank with the wire shank shown prior to the bending thereof; a

Figure 12 is an elevation showing the blank with the first step of the shank-bending operation performed; and

Figure 13 is an elevation of the com pleted button. I

10 indicates the framework and base of the machine, upon an upright portion of which an inclined chute 11 is mounted, to the upper end of which is applied a suitable hopper (not shown) for delivering the button heads with the headed shank wires 'fitted therein to slide down the inclined chute 11. The machine framework is provided with a lateral, extension 10 presenting an inclined face 1O extending approximately at right angles to the direction of the chute, and upon this face a bar 12 is mounted for sliding movement. The extension lO is provided with a projection bearing a bracket 13 equipped with an adjusting screw 14 adapted to limit the outward movement of bar 12, and to determine its location so as to be in position to receive a button of any given size from the chutc as presently de'.

scribed. The outer portion of the bar 12 is equipped with a lug 12* in which is fitted an adjusting screw 15 adapted to engage the base extension 10f to limit the inward movement of the bar 12 and locate it properly for deliveringthe button to the operative station as will be explained. The bar 12.has

adjustably fixed thereto, a head 16 hearing a recess 17 adapted to receive the projecting wire shank of the button from the chute withthe head of the button resting on the top of the head 16 as thebutton slides on to said head by gravity from the chute.

The head 16 is equipped with provision for small lateral adjustment upon the bar 12, for this purpose having a tail portion thereof provided with a transverse rib 18 which fits into a transverse slot in the top of the bar 12 with a clamp screw 19" set through a short transverse slot in the shank of the head 16 and threaded into the bar 12, the purpose of this, adjustment being to set the parts accurately for different sizes of buttons. The bar 12 has a short lateral projection 12 at itsinner end which bears a pointed beak or finger 20'extendin past the slot or recess 17 The purpose of this is to insure that the foremost button in the chute will be caught and deposited upon the head 16 with its shank extending into the recess 17, while holding back the rest of the line of buttons in the chute as the bar 12 starts in its movement to bear the button held thereon to the operative station. For reciprocating the bar 12 to thus transfer the successive buttons from the chute to the operative station, its under side is formed with a rack 21 which is engaged by a gear segment 22 pivoted to the housing at 23, and having a depending tail portion pivotally connected at 24 with a composite or twopart bar 25. The bar 25 is composed of two parts having a small relative endwise telescopic movement as permitted by a pin and slot connection 26 therebetween, and with a stout coil spring 27 housed in one of said bar portions and reacting against the other one thereof to hold them normally at their outer limit of extension. The inner end of the bar 25 has pivotally connected thereto at 28, a lever 29 which is fulcrumed at an intermediate point to the framework as indicated at 30, and has its upper end portion equipped with a roller 31. This roller engages a lateral cam 32 fixed on the shaft 33, which is journalled in the top of the framework and constitutes the prime drive shaft of the machine, being shown as equipped with a suitable operating pulley 34, and stop motion device indicated generally at 35. This stop motion device constituting no part of the present invention need not be here explained in detail. For causing the pulley 31 to constantly engage the cam 32 and thus cause the bar 12 to be retracted outward, the lever 29 is equipped with a tension coil spring 36, the other end of which is anchored to the framework. A plate 37 is adjustably fixed to the base a small distance inward from the chute 11 with its inner end portion reduced in thickness as indicated at 37 so as to have adegree of resiliency, this inner end portion being unsupported by the base and extending inward to the locality of movement of the bar 12. This inner plate portion 37 a has its extremity notched as indicated at 37 to permit the button shank wire to slide into such notch with the head of the button resting on the.

bar 12 asshown in Figures 1 and. 4. To prevent the button from sliding off from the head 16 before it reaches the plate portion 37, a guard block 38 is fixed to the base just back of the inner portion of the bar 12, this block extending substantially to the side of the plate 37. The plate 37 is clamped to the base by a screw 39 passing through a somewhat elongated slot of said plate, so as to permit endwise adjustment of the plate, such endwise adjustment being effected with precision by a screw 40 threaded in the base and engaging the end of the plate 37, the purpose of this adjustment being to set the parts accurately for different sizes of buttons. As the button is thus locatedon the resilient plate portion 37, the lower end of the shank wire S engages against a V-notch 41 formed in the inner lateral face of a forming die 41. This forming die 41 is clamped by means of a screw 42 to a socket provided therefor on a slide block 43 which is mounted for vertical movement in the base. This slide block is equipped with a stud 44, which is engaged with one end of a lever 45 pivoted at 46 to the base, and having its outer end engaged by a push rod 47 fitted to slide vertically in a bearing 48 of the base. The upper end of this push rod is engaged by the end of an adjustable screw 49 borne by one arm 50 of a bell crank lever which is'fulcrunied to the framework at 51, and has its other upwardly extending arm 50 equipped with a roller 52 which engages a peripheral cam fixed on the shaft 33. Thus the forming die 41 is periodically lifted as presently further explained. It is retracted by a tension coil spring 54, one end of which is engaged with an outer portion of the lever 45, while its other end is anchored to a post 55 extending upward from the base. Vihile the button is thus located on the resilient plate portion 37 with the lower end of its shank wire S engaged with the notch 41 of the die 41, as shown in Figure 7, a preliminary bending of the shank wire is accomplished by a plunger die 56, which is moved inward to engage an intermediate portion of the shank wire to form a preliminary bend therein as indicated at S in Figures 8 and 12. For moving the die -56.to accomplish this bend it is clamped in a socket 57 at the inner end of a plunger 58 fitted to slide horizontally in the base, the outer end of this plunger being engaged by an adjustable screw 59 borne at the lower end of the lever 60 which is fulcrumed at 61 to the framework and has its upper end equipped with a roller 62 engaging a peripheral cam 63 fixed on the shaft 33. For holding the roller against this cam and retracting the die 56, a compression coil spring 64 is provided, housed in a socket provided therefor in the framework and reacting against a shoulder. 58

on the plunger 58. To insure a positive retraction of the die 56, in case the spring 64 should fail to act properly, and toprevent interferencewith the upward IIIOVGIDGlli/O'f the forming die 41, a bent lever 65 is pivoted on the pivot 61 of the framework with a lower arm engaging a pin 66 borne by the plunger 58, while an upper obliquely extending portion 65 of this lever is engaged by astud' 67 borne on the side of the cam 63, this stud engaging the arm '65 after the die 56 has been moved inward and performed its function, to positively retract said die. The described movement of the die '56- to thus preliminarily bend the button shank operates to press said shank bodily laterally to a -small extent, and so that its bent lower end is pressed over the forming dietl and into a concave formation 41 in the top thereof as indicated in Figure 8.

' To insure that the die 41 will be located at the proper elevation so that this willoccur for different lengths of button shanks, the lever45 is equipped with an adjustable stop screw 68 which engages an abutment 69 provided therefor in the base, the adjustment of this screw serving to locate the die ll with precision at its lower limit of movement and when the described operation of the die56 takes place. The cams 53, 63 are so designed andproportioned that as soon as the described preliminary bend has been made in the shank wire, and the die 56 withdrawn, the die 41 is pressed upward by the action of the cam 53 to complete the bending and curling of the shank into a completed button eye as indicated at S in Figures 9 and 13. During the described bending and forming operations upon the shank wire the button is held firmly and immovably pressed upon the plate 37 by the engagement therewith of the lower end of a plunger 70, which is fitted for vertical sliding movement in a bearing 71 of the framework. This plunger has a compression coil spring 72 reacting thereon to press the same upward, this spring being housed within the bearing 71 and reacting against a shoulder of said plunger. The plunger is engaged to press and hold the same downward periodically, during the described bending operations by the engagement with the upper end thereof of an adjusting screw 73 borne by one arm of a bell crank lever 74., which is fulcrumed to the frame at 75 and has the other upwardly extending arm 74 thereof equipped with a roller 76, which engages a peripheral cam 77 on the prime drive shaft 33. It will be understood that the adjustment of the screw 73 is adapted to take care of different thicknesses of button heads so that the movement imparted by the cam 77 will be suificient to press the plunger 70 firmly upon the head of buttons of any particular dimension, while the plate 83 borne by the plunger 70.

portion 37 upon which the button head rests, being resilient to a degree, is adapted to accommodate itself to small variations in the thickness of the heads of any particular run of buttons. Means is provided for ejecting the completed button as soon as the forming of the eye is completed and on the retraction of the plunger 70L For this purpose we provide a kick-out lever 78 mounted c on a horizontal pivot-T9, and the lower end of which is adapted to reciprocate directly over the plate portion 37 in position to engage the button heads thereon and press the buttons out of the notches 37 To accomplish this the lever 78 has a dog 80 pivoted near the top thereof at 81, and having a projecting beak 82 with a curved or beveled under side adapted to engage a pin A tension spring 84s with one end engaged with a tail portion of this dog and its other end anchored to the frame, serves to hold the dog 82 normally upward as seen in Figure 7 with the dog held from furthermovement by engagement with a fixed pin 85. Thus as the plunger 70 is moved downwardto engage the head of the button about to be operated on, the pin 83 will engage. the beak 82 to swing the dog 80 and snap past said beak without operating the kick-out lever 78, while on the return movement-of the plunger, the pin 83 engaging the inclin'ed lower side of the beak 82, and with the dog held from independent movement by the pin 85, the kick-out lever 78 will be swung so that its lower end will engage the button head and discharge it from the ma chine.' 'We thus provide a, machine for the described purpose that is entirely automatic in operation, that is capable of bending the button shanks and completing the buttons rapidly and accurately, and also a construction that is quickly and easily adjustable as to its several elements for operating on different sizes and styles of buttons. e are aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attrirather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described our invention, what ,we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: e

1. An automatic button making machine, comprising a supply chute for button heads with shank wires fitted therein, a carrier mounted for reciprocation to receive the buttons from saidchute, said carrier equipped with an inclined button support adapted to deliver the buttons therefrom by gravity, an operative station equipped with a button supporting plate to which the buttons are delivered from said carrier, means for holding the buttons pressed upon said plate during the operative movements thereon, and mechanism engaging the shank wires of the buttons at such operative station to first preliminarily bend the same, and then complete the curling oi the shank wire into a completed button eye.

2. An automatic machine of the kind described, comprising an operative station equipped with a-resilient button supporting plate having a notch to receive the shank wires of the buttons, means for supplying button heads with shank wires fitted therein to said plate, a plunger mounted and having operative connections to hold the button pressed upon said plate during the operative movements thereon, and mechanism located at said operative station for bending and curling the shank wires into completed button eyes.

An automatic machine of the kind de' scribed, comprising an operative station equipped with a resilient button supporting plate having a notch to receive the shank wires of the buttons, means for supplying button heads with shank wires fitted therein to said plate, a plunger mounted and having operative connections to hold the button pressed upon said plate during the operative movements thereon, mechanism located at said operative station for bending and curling the shank wires into completed button eyes, and means for then automatically discharging the buttons from said supporting plate.

4-. An automatic machine of the kind described, comprising a chute for delivering button heads with shank wires fitted therein, an operative station equipped with mechanism for clamping the buttons, and for engaging said shank wires to curl them into button eyes, and a carrier mounted and connected for movement to deliver the but-tons from said chute to said operative station, said carrier having operating means with a yielding factor, and adjustable positive stops co-operative with said carrier to adjustably vary the limits of movements thereof for F the purpose stated.

5. An automatic button making machine, comprising an operative station equipped with a yieldable button support mounted for adjustment for different sizes of buttons, means for supplying automatically button heads with shank wires fitted therein to said button support, a plunger for holding the buttons pressed upon said support equipped with operating means having an adjustment for difi'erent sizes of buttons, and mechanism engaging the shank wires of the buttons while held on such support to curl the same into completed button eyes.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification. f

CHARLES H. liIILLIKEN. AUGUSTUS HECK. 

